Seeing a different side from her
by Loveforthestory
Summary: After Bass finds an unconscious Charlie on the floor of her apartment, old feelings catch up with him. Bass realises he can't change what he feels for Charlie. He just can't. During her recovery, he meets a druggy Charlie. And she is a lot of fun...
1. Chapter 1

_**This story was living inside of my computer for a long time now... and today I have the first chapter for you!**_

_**The war against the patriots is over, the story takes place somewhere after second two, 4 months after that war. Connor came back with Bass, non of the shooting 'thing' with Scanlon and Neville happened. We are going back to Willoughby again...**_

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Bass was on his way to the local bar in Willoughby, when he saw them together. _His_ kid _and_ Charlie. Talking, standing in front of the bar, light streaming from the windows into the street that was getting darker now the sun had set behind the houses at the edge of town.

The war against the patriots had ended almost half a year ago and had taken longer than any of them had expected. Out of all the towns on this fucking continent he had ended up in Willoughby, right in the fucking middle of Texas_. Texas_.

And yet again, he was surrounded by Matheson's where ever the hell he went. Together with Miles, he had gotten the great task from Blanchard to get this town together again, so that meant dealing with Miles on an almost daily basis. Where Miles went, the girlfriend from hell went, so that meant dealing with Rachel more than he wanted. Never would be what he would be aiming for if it was up to him when it came to her, but he still had to face her every damn week.

And then there was that one Matheson. She had become a part of his life so damn fast, that he still could not believe what and how exactly the hell that had happened since she fell in front of his feet in that empty swimming pool.

_Charlie Matheson. _

_Charlotte when he wanted to piss her of, or when she pissed him of. _

She had thrown things in his face where he had other people literally shot for once, and fuck, still would snap somebody's neck for. She was the one woman that never seemed to fall for any of his charms that normally had other woman begging for a just some of his attention. Not Charlie.

She was the one woman that was out of reach. She was the one woman that had been one his mind too much, the one woman he wanted to have under him, the one woman he wanted to taste, the one woman he wanted to hear his own name from, when he would lose himself deep inside of her.

Not Charlie. Not only had she ignored the hell out of him. And when she stopped doing that, when he had thought that maybe he was not batshit crazy for believing there could be something there, at the moment he felt like they were making some progress she had banged his kid.

_Damn it_, he was 47, he used to run half the continent, but when it came to this kid, woman, _whatever, _she was able to pull the rug from under him on a daily basis. And he let her. God, she was infuriating.

And hot as fuck.

So now he was here, in this damn town and almost at the town bar when he saw them together. Charlie was tilting her head back and was laughing at Connor. Connor stood in front of her, hands in his pockets with that stupid grin Bass recognised as his own _lets fuck later_ grin.

Bass looked at the ground in front of him for a moment, when he cursed something under his breath. He couldn't care less if his son went back for another scoop. He really didn't. He walked past Charlie and Connor, ignoring their greetings while he grunted something back shortly before he walked into the bar.

When he had ordered his first drink and Miles finally walked the hell in, he turned around and looked through the window where Connor had just stood with Charlie. They were both gone. He emptied his glass and growled for another drink to the guy behind the bar.

'_Well, you look like a little bundle of joy,'_ Miles said drily, before he gestured to the bartender for a whiskey.

'_Shut it,_' Bass growled, when he looked into the glass before he emptied it again.

_**The next morning**_

Bass stood close to the town gate, waiting for Charlie. They were supposed to ride for Austin this morning. Blanchard needed to get some shit taken care of and since Miles was neck deep in other duties. It had been Charlie that stepped up. Apparently spending time with him was not on her _hate most do to_-list.

Although it had probably more to do with some other argument she had with the Mother of the year she had to deal with on a daily basis. One way or the other, it meant being on the road with her, alone. Something they had not done in a long time. Was it completely fucked up that he maybe kinda looked forward to that?

He moved his weight to his other leg when he started to get impatient. Charlie was late. She never was. And yet, there was no sight of her. The memory of seeing her with his kid last night flashed through his mind. Followed by a memory from a night right outside Vegas, the smooth skin of her face and bare shoulders close to Connor. _Damn it,_ he grunted.

Not much later he spotted Connor across the street. He felt a hint of a familiar blow in his gut when he watched his kid. It was obvious that he did not make it home last night, since he was wearing the same stuff he had been wearing the night before.

'_Connor,'_ he nodded at his kid, his own voice reaching across the street when Connor changed directions and walked over to him.

'_Well, good morning to you, dad_,' he said, grinning from ear to ear.

'_Yeah, whatever,'_ Bass really tried to ignore the grin he wished he could slap of his kid's face.

'_You've seen Charlie?'_ It was not really a question, more a statement.

Connor pulled his hand through his dark curls. _'Talked to her last night at the bar for a moment, haven't seen her since. Why are you asking?'_

Bass really tried not to let the relieve he felt show on his face in front of his kid. He felt rather pathetic for it.

'_We were supposed to leave for Austin, but she has not showed up yet.'_ He started to turn away from Connor, _'Guess I will check her apartment.'_

'_You want me to go with you?'_ Connor offered.

'_No, I'm fine, son. I'll go check on her.'_ And with that he turned around and walked over to her apartment. Relieve had changed into something else.

Walking over to her apartment he felt everything between feeling worried and pissed off at Charlie for now showing up. Worried because Charlie was never late and this was not like her. Pissed off because if this was one of those things she was doing to just mess with him a little more, he was not fucking amused. Although something already inside of him told him that Charlie was not like that. She took her shit seriously.

Not much later he found herself standing in front of apartment, knocking on her front door. There was silence on the other door. He knocked again. Nothing.

'_Charlie?'_ He said firmly, _'Charlie, damn it, we were supposed to be on the road now.' _He sounded pissed, while worry started to spread through his gut.

No answer. He called for her again. He pounded on the door with more force. Nothing. He had enough.

'_Charlie, I don't know what the hell is going on, but if you don't fucking open the door right now, I will open it for you.'_ He sounded pissed, but this time, cold worry started to flood his gut.

He grabbed his gun from the waistband of his jeans. Without thinking about it he used his shoulder and his weight to open the door with force. The door flew open, crashing into the wall next to it with a loud bang. The wood shattered around the lock.

With the gun firmly in his hands and pointed in front of him, he scanned the room. Still nothing. And then he walked over to the small hallway. There was an almost closed door to his left. He never been here but if he had to guess it was her bedroom. It was too damn quiet. Adrenaline pumped through his veins.

He opened the door. And then he saw her. He swore his heart almost fucking stopped at the sight of her. Bare legs on the floor next to her bed. An oversized t shirt flowing over her upper legs. Then he took another step. Charlie was laying on the floor, her hair over her head.

In the next couple of seconds he had his gun tucked back into his waistband, he had crossed the distance across the room and now he was crouched down next to her, some curse words leaving his mouth. _Fuck_.

'_Charlie...damn it, Charlie,'_ his voice was hoarse with worry. His voice firm.

He gently pulled some hair back out of her face, and his fingers went over flushed skin. Her skin felt warm and sweat was on her forehead.

He tried to shake her awake.

She tried to talk, he saw her lips moving, but her eyes stayed shut.

'_I did not... forget ... not forget...you...' _

Her voice was so far away, so weak that he was worried out of his damn mind. He had never seen her like this, even when she came out of her drugs coma in Pottsboro she had tried to kill him within the next five or ten minutes after. But not today.

Today she was pale and not even able to form complete sentences. She even let him touch her, and that maybe was the worst fucking sign. Ever.

'_I did...'_ Charlie started to mumble something, but she was obviously lost in her fever again.

'_Hey, I know Charlie.'_ He said, now gently, feeling like a giant dickhead that he had even thought about the possibility that Charlie would not follow through on what they had agreed on the day before.

He pressed a hand to her forehead. She was burning up.

_Damn it._

His mind was racing, while her head was leaning into the touch of his hand.

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_**Next chapter, we will start with Charlie's point of view. Until then? Love from Love**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Oh! I loved all your reviews for the first chapter of this story, wow! Thank you everyone! Ready for chater two?**_

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Charlie had a long day behind her when she was walking towards the bar. She had felt some pain between her shoulder blades, but told herself she had been sitting still too long at another long day helping out at her grandfather's practice. She made circles with her shoulders to get rid of some of the tension. With her knowledge, from him and Maggie, it had been the most logical choice for her, when they had returned to Willoughby after the war.

She ignored that the couching from last week had become worse this week. Miles had asked her if she was all right. Her grandpa had asked her if she was all right a couple of days later. She had rolled her eyes, grabbed her jacket and left the kitchen of her grandfather's house. She had crossed paths with Monroe on the way into town, and she was pretty sure he was about to ask her if everything was all right before she stopped him with a very intense _don't _ in her eyes.

His eyes had been going over her face and she had seen a rare moment of concern on his face. She did not know why, but that look stayed with her during the rest of the day. She did know why, but she felt irritated that the image of Monroe's concern for her had found a way into her mind and kept on bugging her the rest of the day.

She was tired, she had been tired for almost two weeks now. The weather was cold, the winter was coming to its end. There had been something burning in her lunges for a while now, but half the town was sick and she had decided that everybody was tired these days, so why would she be the exception and crawl on to her couch and don't do her share? She just needed to keep busy, she told herself.

She just needed some fresh air, and a couple of good nights with sleep and some distraction. When she had heard Monroe would go to Austin, she had decided it was a perfect opportunity to leave town behind for a while and get that fresh air and distraction.

But right now, she could use a drink, and what better place was there to go than the low key _nothing ever happened here_ local town bar of Willoughby? Maybe she could get Miles to pay for some, or maybe all of her drinks? Grinning in satisfaction at her own plan she was stopped by Connor just before she walked into the bar.

They had all settled in Willoughby when the war had ended, including the Monroe men. Connor had started to date and flirt his ass off. He was new in town, he spoke another language, and well, a lot of the girls liked just that. She didn't mind. They had shared something once in Vegas, had became sort of friends afterwards until Connor had turned into a jealous five year old who could not stand Miles. Charlie had gotten tired of it all, fast. But the war had chanced them all, had formed stronger bounds.

He could be good friendly company, but Charlie knew, and she had told Connor very clearly that one day ,that was all she wanted. After they had to find shelter in a safe house from intensive rain for a while, she had stood on the porch when the rest of them had found their own things to do.

Feeling the fresh air on her face, she had watched the rain on her own to gather her thoughts. She had heard Connor walk up to her. He had stood behind her. She had firmly removed his hand that was now casually resting on her lower back. First he looked like she had slapped a puppy, but he had respected her decision. Things between them had been awkward for a while, but now back in Willoughby they had found a way towards what felt like a light friendship.

Connor stopped her right before she had wanted to walk inside, to ask him if Carry, the granddaughter of one of her grandpa's friends had been available. It had become a ritual, Connor wanting information about the ladies in town. She made a joke about her being his pimp nowadays, and he grinned at her.

Of course, Monroe had just chosen that moment to show up and do his _whole I don't care you are standing so close to my kid_ pout.

She and Monroe, they had fought together through the war, they had spent more time with one another on the road. Both Miles and him had tried to keep her away from the worst of the battle, but when she had made it clear she was not having any of that, both him and Miles had accepted that with dramatic sighs and worried faces. Of course always one of them seemed to be around her, and first Charlie had been beyond frustrated. She did not need a babysitter.

But the war turned out to be hard. Bloody. Long.

And somewhere during the second month in, she had found herself in Monroe's company at the end of another long day.

_Blood was now permanently stamped into her skin. Both Monroe and Miles had trained her, had made sure she had been ready for this, but being surrounded by death, fights and blood, so much endless blood, was taking its toll. She had been staring into the fire in front her, the images of the past day on her mind. She felt how this war was eating at her, and her nightmares had been worse than ever. She was struggling. Told herself to be tougher, stronger. _

_Sleep was miles away, while another memory of a patriot with death in his eyes before her knife had gone through his gut completely came back to her. She had closed her eyes, opened them again and let out a sharp flow of breath at the way the memory seemed to rip right through her chest. Monroe had walked over to her and had sat down next to her a the wooden log. His knee had been so close it had touched hers. It had felt strangely comforting. He was tall and broad beside her. They did not talk for a while._

'You okay?_' His voice had a low rhythm that melted into the sounds of the fire._

_She did not answer him, when she felt how he looked at her, when she kept staring into the fire, a straight face and straigthened her shoulders._

_'Don't be too hard on yourself, Charlie.' _

_Charlie had looked up. Why did it feel like Monroe was in her head, knowing what was haunting her? She did not answer him, just pressed her teeth together, keeping her emotions in check._

'_When your Uncle and I were in Iraq, for our first tour, we were ambushed in this nobody town. It lasted for hours. Woman, children, they all got slaughtered before our eyes and the only thing we could do was watch, when every damn thing we tried made things even fucking worse.'_

_Charlie turned her head his way, watched his eyes. He was lost in a memory. His eyes were big, grey ,dark, blue, hurt. He held her eyes for a moment when he pressed his lips together. Then he watched the fire._

'_I will never forgot what I saw there that day, Charlie. Never.'_

_They sat in silence. _

'_These things can fuck with your head Charlie. Believe me, I know,' he had moved his hand towards her leg. His fingers rested on her knee for a moment, 'you know Miles is there when you need him. You know I am here if you need anything.' His voice was so low Charlie barely heard him._

_She felt his eyes on him, and finally turned her head. She nodded at him. She could not speak now. She would not speak for the rest of the day. She couldn't. _

_When she fell asleep that night, it was beside Monroe. And for the first time, she did not roll her back towards him, an old habit that she had formed on the road back from Vegas, when she had to return with him. This time, she curled up, disappeared under a rough blanket for some warmth and faced him. He was so close she could take the scent of his jacket. And for the first time she felt he had made a difference to her, in a way that was unknown to her. She slept, her forehead so close to him it almost touched his arm._

Things had changed. He road, the war, the fighting had forced them to spend their days together. He had changed. Or was he the same, but did she only now see it? Was she Miles' niece? Where they friends? She was not sure. Did friends look at each other the way they did? With an intensity that made her lick her bottom lip with nervousness more than she wanted to when he would lock his eyes with hers longer then she felt comfortable with. And when started she feel that, when he was around? When did they eye not just battle without words anymore? Since when did he do those things to her?

What she did know for sure is that he turned into a giant asshole when she and Connor were even remotely together. She decided that if he wanted to be an asshole, she did have to lower herself to his standards, so when he passed both her and Connor, by she still greeted him. She got a grunt back. She followed him with her eyes into the bar.

'_So Carry? What's her story?'_ Connor pulled her out of her thoughts with his voice. He head that grin plastered on his face, and he was using his almost boyish grin to get more information out of her.

Charlie rolled her eyes at him.

'_Connor, like I told you about 3 minutes ago. I am not your pimp. I am not your manager. I you want to get laid, do some work yourself.' S_he had raised one eyebrow when she shot him a grin as well.

'_Okay, fair enough,'_ Connor laughed at her directness, _' I guess I'll do just that.'_

_C_harlie turned around to walk away, when Connor stopped her. _'You look like shit Charlie, you sure you are okay?' _

Apparently that was the question on everybody's mind these days. She sighed.

_'Well, if you talk to the ladies like that Connor, telling them they look like shit, I am not surprised you have troubles getting laid.'_

Connor put his hands in the air in surrender. He knew better than to ask anything more at this point.

When Connor wished her goodnight and was on his way to do his things, she was about to walk into the bar, when she felt slightly dizzy . There was the start of a cold shiver going through her body. She knew she would have to leave tomorrow with Monroe to go to Austin, so she decided to send herself to bed early to have a good start tomorrow. She was sure she had been only tired. Drinks had to wait, for now.

The short walk home, made little drops of sweat appear on her back and forehead. Walking into her apartment, she felt worse by the minute. She made herself some tea, and started to swirl on her feet. She felt nauseous, and warm and cold at the same time. She did not even touch her tea and went straight to her bedroom. The last thing she mastered was to get out of her clothes and into her sleeping shirt before she felt a blackness pulling at her head.

She fainted, right in front of her bed. She tried with all her stubbornness to make it to her bed but she failed. She stretched out her hand to get to the blanket, but she felt her lunges burn, her body aching. The blanket only made it halfway around her middle, no energy left to pull it all the way over her legs.

She had no idea how long it had taken to wake up after she had fainted, and her thoughts became feverish and chaotic. The room was spinning and she felt the cold floor against her feet and legs.

At one point she just gave up to get off the floor and she drifted off, panic taken over when she realised she had just passed out.

That she felt so sick.

That she was on the floor of her bedroom and she was all alone.

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Charlie heard a voice, far away, when there was daylight again in the room. Not a voice. His voice. She knew it was him. She tried to yell for him, tired of being cold and so damn alone. Her instincts kicked in. She needed not to be on this floor anymore. Her whole body hurt and she was miserable. She heard her voice again. _Monroe. Bass._

She heard the irritation in his voice. He sounded sp pissed. She knew him well enough to picture his face with irritation and edgy lines. _Austin. Austin. He would probably think she...but she did not...did not forget to..._she was not able to finish her thoughts. So cold. So tired.

Then there was the sound of wood shattering and a loud noise that made her nauseous. She heard boots on the floor that came her way.

And then, he was close.

He was there.

She heard her own name and tried to react but she was too weak.

'_Charlie, damn it, Charlie,'_ his voice was hoarse with worry.

She felt his rough skinned fingers, gently pushing some hair out of her face and she tried to open her needed him to know she did not forget him. She wouldn't. She hadn't.

'_I did... not..'_ Charlie started to mumble something, but her voice would not cooperate.

'_Hey, I know Charlie.' _She felt the low gentle tone of his voice going through her. She felt his large hand on her forehead. His hand felt cool, and she leaned in a little bit to his touch. His hands went from her shoulder and then to her feet. Apparently he noticed something he did not like there, because she heard him curse again.

'_I am going to get you of this floor now, okay?_' Charlie nodded, exhaustion running through her. She felt how he slowly put his arm under her knees, when his other wrapped around her back. She felt the cool of leather against her cheek. She had no other option than to let her head rest against his chest. Somehow it felt good, the panic of the past long and lonely night losing its grip on her.

She was moved to her bed, warm covers were placed over her after Monroe had gently placed her legs on the mattress.

The room started to spin again and the remains of the nightmares from last night were still with her. She had dreamed, revisited moments in those dark chaotic dreams she wanted to forget, but the images were coming back when sleep tried to wash over her.

The panic came back with those images. She was not even sure if Monroe was still there with her in the room. She did not want to be alone again. The night had been so very long, the darkness around her stretched out in long hours.

'_Bass,'_ she whispered slowly, panic in her voice, when she tried to move, _'Bass..' _

She felt movement beside her and somebody she knew so well was hovering over her. A large hand was placed on her shoulder.

'_Hey, it's okay Charlie, I am still around...' _

It had been the first time he had heard her say his name. It should not mean this much to him. It really fucking shouldn't. That moment and the fact that he hated to see her like this gave him no other choice than to move closer to her again. He just wanted to take care of her, taking care of the woman that had never let him take care of her.

_A_fter Bass had felt the weight of her body in his arms, and he had felt how she was burning up even through the fabric of her shirt, he had moved her into her own bed. He needed to get her warm again Then he had ran his hand through his scruff as she watched her for a moment.

Charlie had started to stir, she had started to cough, pain washing over her face, more panic through her body not far behind. When she spoke again she sounded almost too weak for him to hear.

'_Don't ...go...stay...' _

'_Hey, don't worry about that, Charlie' _he tried to reassure her. _'I'm here.' _His words and his hand on her shoulder reassured her, because her face became more relaxed, before she drifted off again.

Bass walked over to her kitchen. He needed to get some water into her system. He went through the cupboards in her kitchen and found a glass. He found some fresh water and he walked back into her bedroom.

Her skin was flushed, and she had been to cold. Her legs had felt frozen and he was realising she had probably been alone all night. His jaws locked at that idea. He moved next to her on the bed, the bed making a creaking sound when his weight was added onto the mattress with hers.

'_Hey Charlie,'_ he moved an arm around her back, and pulled her closer against him, so she was resting against his side and chest, _' try and drink some of this, okay?'_

She had opened her eyes, and he held the glass before her lips. He felt her slender body tremble with exhaustion when she moved her mouth towards the glass.

When Charlie felt the cool glass against her dry lips, she realised how thirsty she was. Her throat was on fire, her lounges hurt even more. She felt she was not getting enough air into her lunges and it took her a lot of energy to keep on breathing.

She tried to move her hands to the glass, but they felt like they were made of something too heavy to lift. She let out a frustrated sigh.

'_It's okay, here..._' Monroe's low voice close to her ear when he put the glass to her lips again and held it there so she could take another sip. She started coughing again when she let her head fall back into the hollow of his strong neck.

Bass heard the sound coming from her lunges when Charlie coughed again. Fuck, this wasn't good. When he had met het last week in town, he saw some paleness on her face already. But it was winter, they had just been through hell and a war. Life had been hard. He had seen it, but he wished he had paid some more attention. He had to get her to the old man. She needed a doctor. Now.

Charlie felt Monroe move next to her. She watched how he grabbed something from the floor. Then he moved her blanket a little bit away from her. Every movement caused Charlie to feel dizzy. Nauseous. All she wanted to do was lay still, under the blanket. She did not want to move.

There came some protesting incoherent sounds from her mouth.

'_Charlie, listen to me. I need to get you to your grandfather, now.' _He watched her shiver when he moved the blankets. He gently moved her slender legs so he could move her pants over her legs. He did not even bother with the button, but she needed more warmth now he was going to move her. Then he grabbed the blanket again, and wrapped it around Charlie's entire body.

Charlie coughed again. Pain was shooting through her chest. She could not remember feeling this miserable. Everything hurt, everything was fuzzy, every ray of light or movement made her feel like throwing up.

She felt how she was moved again and she silently wished he would leave her in her bed. It was like she was one step behind of her body. Like the world moved in a different pace than her. And when she was in Bass' arms again, her head on his chest she heard a sob escaping from her chest.

Bass heard her sob, and it was like a cold shot through his gut. Charlie felt so weak in his arms, she could not even keep her eyes open. _'Hold on, Charlie, just hold on..'_

Without thinking he pressed a kiss on her burning forehead. Charlie did not open her eyes, but he felt how she let herself glide into his arms even more, her weight against his chest, her face against the leather of his jacket.

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_**Thanks for reading! I really like you all like this story so much! It makes my writing heart happy... Until the next chapter? Love from Love**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Because I did not like to leave Charlie so sick and miserable, and reading your reviews you don't like that either, here is another chapter today! Let's get back to the story, and let's do that fast (thanks for your reviews, Loved them!)!**_

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Nausea. Pain in her lunges.

Something that felt like lips that brushed her forehead. But that could not be, because this was Monroe.

_Charlie, stay with me._

_S_he tried to focus on his voice, to hold on to his voice. But she got lost again.

Movement. Cold air flowing around her.

Light. Too bright. Sunlight.

The rhythm of his steps. The sound of his boots under her.

Sounds that hammered into her head.

_Charlie, damn it, come on, don't do this. _

Panic that she had not heard, not from him. Not like this.

Breathing close to her skin. A door that opened. Another door that slammed shut.

She heard his rough voice, ordering somebody to get somebody.

_Charlie._

She heard more voices around her.

And then. There was darkness again.

Pale daylight streamed into the windows, little particles of dust were flowing in rays of light. The sun had risen a while ago and it was a winter day early February, with soft white light streaming in. Charlie opened her eyes slowly and although the light around her was gentle, she blinked a couple of times. It took her a while to focus. She watched the little particles of dust and she got lost in the perfect movements and patterns.

First, the room around her felt foreign. She looked at a coffee table, a fire place, another couch. She knew those things. She looked down and realised she was on a couch. She tried to push herself up with elbows but gave up on that idea pretty fast. She was warm. She was comfortable.

And then she remembered where she was. She was in her grandfather's home, in his living room to be exact. She heard voices. And a little while later, her mother and grandfather walked into her vision.

'_Ah, look who is awake,'_ Gene said, relieve in his eyes and voice.

'_Hey Charlie, how are you feeling?_' Rachel asked.

Charlie needed to think about those questions. Everything around her felt soft and the voices of her grandfather an mom came from a very far distance.

She felt weird. And good. And she was finally able to breathe again.

She heard her mother talk to her, explaining something about an infection, fever. But the words collided in a sweet mix of sounds and her eyes felt heavy again.

_Monroe. Bass._ She thought about him. The gentle and slow stream of thoughts had stopped at him. She remembered him, close, but she was not sure if she remembered that at all. For now, she let herself drift back into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

_**A couple of days later**_

'_Hey kid.' _

Charlie opened her eyes and looked into deep brown eyes.

She had been asleep, something that seemed to fill her days the last couple of days. But she had breakfast this morning. On her own. She had told her mother to leave her alone with the fruit and tea, that Rachel had brought into the room. She would be just fine. Days started to get a shape again. Morning turned into morning, night turned into night. And she started to get restless a bit too.

It had been a week since the night she had fainted in her bed room. Fainted because of an infection in her lunges she should have taken more seriously. She knew she had been lucky. She knew that there was one man, that had made sure she was all right. Alive. Again.

She remembered, after having a lot of time on this couch to remember, the little pieces that had gotten lost in time. She remembered relieve when he been close to her, after all those hours alone during that long night on the floor next to her bed.

It had been his voice that had reassured her, it had been his touch that give her the feeling like she was not alone in an endless night of fever and misery. It had been his arms that had moved her here, it has been his chest she had rested her head on. It had been Bass.

'_Miles,'_ she grinned at him, a bright broad grin when she slowly turned from her thoughts back to the uncle sitting in front of her. Miles grinned back at her.

'_So, this is your definition of everything is all right?' _ Miles tried to sound pissed at her, for being too stubborn to tell him that in fact, things had not been all right with her, when he had checked on her last week. But Charlie looked completely out of it, so he decided the yelling could wait. For a couple of days. Then there would be yelling.

'_You scared the hell out us kid. Try and don't do that again, okay?' _

'_Us?' _Charlie said lazily, when she frowned and tried to sit up a little bit more but failed, because her muscles felt sluggish.

'_Yeah, your mom, gene, me and that moron over there,_' Miles nodded.

Charlie moved her head from Miles to where he was nodding. And there, against the wall, Monroe was leaning into that wall like he did that as a full time thing. Easy, effortless, his hands in his pockets, his eyes on her.

She knew was staring, but the funny thing was, she did not care. She looked at his shoulders, his trained chest and stomach, his jacket, _oh that jacket_, his legs and finally back to his chin, scruff and eyes again.

Not much later Connor walked in.

'_Team Monroe!' _ Charlie almost yelled with enthusiasm, welcoming Connor into the room, _'finally, the entertainment for today has arrived.' _She sounded very pleased.

'_Hey Charlie,' _he said in a warm tone, while there a frown falling over his face.

Connor leaned a little bit towards his dad when he kept his voice down. _'Is she...?'_ He knew drugs, after years in a drug cartel he knew when he was looking at it. But this was Charlie.

'_Yes,'_ both Miles and Bass answered.

'_High as a kite,_' Miles added.

'_What?'_ Connor asked, not believing what was going on.

'_Yeah, the painkillers Gene prescribed hit Charlie a little bit harder than expected_.' Miles said drily. The three men grinned.

'_Hey, if you are talking behind my back, at least fill me in.' _Charlie said, a pout on her face, which drew Bass attention to those full lush lips. Charlie Matheson was actually pouting. _Holy hell._

Fuck, it was good to hear her voice again. To get to look into her deep blue _never back the hell down_ eyes, the colour changing in the light.

She _had_ scared the hell out of him. After she had lost consciousness again in his arms, after he had left her apartment with her securely against his chest, he had marched right into the old man's office. He had looked straight into his eyes and Rachel's face when he crashed open the door with his boot.

Demanding with a rough order, that the old man would drop anything right that fucking second and make sure Charlie was all right.

His eyes had been sharp, his blue eyes filled with a storm of emotions. He had growled at the old men to hurry the fuck up and help her.

It did not take long for a completely hysterical Rachel to move towards him and Charlie, Charlie still in his arms. Her accusing eyes had found him immediately. Demanding to tell her what the hell he had done and her eyes firing into his to let her go, right that second. She actually had the fucking nerve to throw that in his face. Charlie was hurt, and of course, he was the one again, that had to face another shit storm from Rachel. Miles was there not much later.

Bass had pulled his hand through his hair, when he had taken a step back so they could work on Charlie. Side by side with his brother, that had a devastating look in his eyes when he saw Charlie.

He was worried out if his damn mind. Worry, dark all consuming worry about Charlie in his gut, making it impossible for him to stand still. He had to let her go, his arms now empty. She looked too still, too small. Her eyelashes were resting on her flushed cheeks.

They had been through so fucking much, and now he was so close to the possibility of losing her, it broke dark and wild panic lose inside of him. Charlie could not die. And when he saw her motionless form in that bed in the small practice, he had realised why.

He cared for her. Not because she was Miles' niece. Not because she had turned into one hell of a friend. Not because she was a fierce and skilled warrior. He needed her. He wanted her. God, he swore, he wanted her. But he needed her. In every fucking meaning of that word. The moment when doc checked on Charlie's pulse it hit him with full force. He needed Charlie.

And now she was here, a week later, sitting on a couch, being the smartass and stubborn woman she was. He met her eyes.

'_And what are you laughing at Monroe?'_ Charlie grinned her lazy broad grin_, 'you were just like this, remember?' _

Bass smile faded. _Oh shit._ He had some memories of the time Rachel had the honour to put an injection needle in his arm and he woke up in a fucking coffin under the ground. He had been drugged out of his damn mind, and he could not remember a lot but he was sure had said or done some really stupid things.

'_Charlie, I am sure nobody needs to hear that,'_ his voice had almost turned into a growl, when he looked at the ground before him for a moment.

'_Oh come on Monroe, you were so very cute,'_ Charlie said, in a sweet tone but her eyes were filled with fire. Challenge and amusement.

He knew she was messing with him, and by the look of things, she was enjoying herself way too damn much. He saw Connor grinning behind his hand, he watched how Miles started to grin as well.

_Way to go and have my back, boys,_ he thought.

'_The both of you were,'_ Charlie turned to Miles.

'_What the hell Charlie?'_ Now Miles was starting to look uncomfortable too.

'_Well, now things are getting interesting,_' Connor grinned, having a seat on the couch across from her. Miles was still sitting on the coffee table before her and Monroe stood behind Miles.

'_No, they are not,'_ Bass said, his jaws locked. This conversation needed to be over. Right fucking now.

'_Oh come on, the both you. First that whole 'Hey buddy' from you, after you woke up'_ Charlie nodded at Monroe, doing her best impression of his voice, _'then your uncomfortable ass hovering over his bed, not being able to help yourself to make sure Monroe was all right'_ she nodded at Miles, _'and then... what was it?'_

Charlie looked very serious, remembering that afternoon when Monroe had woke up, drugs raging through his system, with a wide grin. She had seen a completely different side of him, so much different than the though and crude General she had only come to know at that point, and she just had to smile at seeing both Miles and Bass in that small room in the house where they were hiding Monroe.

Monroe made no effort to hide his happiness about seeing Miles, and Miles... she knew the truth. He was happy to see Bass too, but of course, would not show that. It had been just to freaking cute, those two tough grown bad ass man acting all, well, cute.

'_Oh yes, and then your answer...'_ she remembered now, while she did another impression of Monroe, _'...look at you, you missed me. You are my best friend.'_

At that point, both Miles and Bass looked like they wished they were everywhere but there with her in the room. It only added to the amount of fun Charlie was having. She watched how Monroe cursed something under his breath when his eyes were not on her anymore.

'_I wish you could remember Miles,'_ she looked at Monroe_, 'doing his best to hide his amusement.'_

'_Okay, and that's enough,' _Miles warned her, while he had to bite the inside of his cheek not to laugh at his niece.

'_You told Monroe the same that afternoon, if I remember...'_

'_Charlie, what the hell!'_ Miles meant business.

She moved a little bit more under her blanket.

'_Well, I thought you were both very cute...' _

Both Miles and Bass did not look at each other. Connor was still doing his best not to laugh too hard, adding only more to the total torture and agony both Miles and Bass felt.

Charlie felt the smile on her face, when her eyes closed softly. She just wanted to close her eyes, just for a moment. She yawned lazily. She just needed to close her eyes for a second...

She had no idea how long she had been sleeping, because when she woke up, the room around her was empty and both Connor, Bass and Miles were gone.

Miles had watched how Charlie had fallen asleep. He had nodded at Connor and Bass to leave the room.

Bass followed his brother and his kid. Bass knew she needed her rest. And he, apparently needed to find his balls again after that very embarrassing moment.

'_I really was like that?'_ Bass said, disbelieve in his words, when he stopped Miles on his way to the kitchen, grabbing his arm. Fucking hell, he felt stupid. Pathetic. And very fucking stupid.

'_Nah,'_ Miles answered, and at the moment he watched some relieve in Bass' eyes he continued, _'you were even worse.'_

And with that, he smacked Bass on his shoulders and walked passed him.

'_Monroe?'_ It was Charlie's voice from the living room.

Miles turned around and watched how Bass turned his head towards the living room. Miles grinned at the torture in Bass' eyes at his verbal castration earlier, '_you better get moving.'_

Bass closed his eyes, locked his jaws. He let out a deep sigh when he walked back to Charlie. Hoping there would be no more humiliating stories. She might as well castrate him on the spot, and get it over with.

When he walked into the living room, he found her struggling with her blanket. Her movements slow, her face determined. A lock of hair in her face that kept on escaping from behind her ear. She was just adorable. When she was about to fall of the couch to grab the rest of her blanket that had ended up on the floor, he decided to intervene. Accepting the very realistic possibility she would be very pissed off at him for helping her.

He moved his hand around her arm and helped her move back into the pillows on the couch. He felt her eyes on him when he adjusted the blanket around her.

When she was safely back on the couch, he sat down next to her on the couch. Her legs were behind his back. His elbows on his knees, he turned her way.

She was staring at his jacket. He smirked at her when her eyes finally met his.

'_That is a good jacket, Monroe.' _ She said lazily, like she was happy with her own observation.

Bass felt uncomfortable again. He smirked. Normally he would have used her line to work his Monroe charm on her. But this was Charlie. _Charlie._ A high Charlie, he could not go there. Although he really fucking liked her eyes on him.

'_You called me back, to tell me that?'_ His tone was low, but with a teasing colour in it.

His voice had a rhythm that Charlie absorbed. God, he had a good voice. Good jacket. Good scruff. All good.

'_No,' _ Charlie nodded her head. She looked confused for a moment, like she had to remember herself what she had wanted to say.

Then her look went from confused to serious, although her eyes were very soft, as she leaned more into her pillows.

'_I,'_ Charlie started, _'I wanted to thank you,'_ she sounded so sincere, so open.

Bass looked at her, looked at the ground, swallowed something away. He was not used to people thanking him. Not anymore. The tone of her voice was almost too much. He was thankful her eyes started to close again, and she was on her way to sleep again.

'_No problem, Charlie,'_ he tried to sound indifferent, he cursed himself for the tone in his voice.

He moved the blanket more securely around her, and watched her for a moment. She was beautiful, so god damn beautiful. A lock of her hair brushed his hands when he pulled the blanket to her shoulders. He had to stop himself from letting his hand go through her hair.

He stood up from the couch.

'_See you later?_' Charlie said softly, when she moved towards her side, snuggling deeper under the blanket.

'_If you want to?'_ Bass moved his hands into his pockets again.

'_I want to...' _

Bass upper lip moved into a short grin, when he watched her breathe, steadily, her breathing even, her face relaxed when she was asleep again. That grin stayed on his face when he walked out of the room.

* * *

_**Charlie is alive! She will be fine, I promise. But she is also experiencing some side effects from the painkillers... This time, we had a druggy Charlie, remembering a druggy Monroe... Of course, the fun is not over, not yet! Until next chapter? Love from Love**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**There was a lot of druggy Charlie in last chapter. Charlie talking about a druggy Bass. But there was also a sincere thank you, that meant more to Bass than he showed her. Today, there is more druggy Charlie. Not only on her couch, but also a druggy Charlie from the past. Druggy is kind of the theme here. **_

_**That, and I wanted to write that conversation between Miles, Bass and Charlie we never saw on the show.**_

* * *

'_Crap... what the hell,'_ Charlie's eyes were filled with a mocking look when she looked at her uncle, while she spoke, _'...and of course... moron.' _

Miles was enjoying whiskey, a lot of it, his boots on the table in front of him. He was sitting across from his niece.

It was a late afternoon.

Rachel was out, Gene was out. So that meant some peace and quiet. Whiskey. Bass. And Charlie. Lots of Charlie. She was doing better, but was still high as a kite when she had just taken whatever Gene had given her. Since Gene had told him she would make a full recovery, if she took things easy, he had been able to sit back and enjoy _the drugged out of her mind niece_ ride.

Somehow they had gotten into a highly entertaining, _at least for Charlie_, discussion on everybody's favourite words in the whole wide world. It was like the four year old he remembered, but then with a very grown up Charlie and painkillers and...well, maybe it was nothing like the four year old he remembered.

Miles exchanged a glare with Bass, who was enjoying a drink as well.

'_Junk,'_ Charlie said, a lazy haze in her eyes, from her corner of the couch , _' there is always a lot of junk in there too.' _ She shot Miles a wide grin.

'_Can't argue with that one, Charlie.' _Bass said, his glass in his hand.

'_So, how about that moron,'_ Miles put some extra emphasis on that word, _'over here,'_ he gestured his drink towards Bass.

Bass gave Miles his best brotherly _don't encourage her look._ Which Miles of course ignored.

Charlie took a sip from her water, before she played a little with the almost empty glass in her hands. She started another summing up.

'_Holy hell...whatever.. ...Damn it,' s_he looked in front of her, deep in thought for a moment, _ 'you use a lot of damn it these days. And, well... you are always so thoughtful in your use of very personal insults for everyone.' _Her voice had a lazy wave, that resounded through her words.

Bass just grinned at her. Well, she was right. _Damn it. W_as it wrong he enjoyed it that she seemed to know him so well?

_C_harlie drank the last water in her glass. She was feeling better. She had gotten a good night of sleep and her lunges felt like they were not on fire anymore. The days behind her were a nice haze of sleep and warmth. She actually enjoyed having Miles _and_ Bass over. It beat the company of her grandpa and mother. Miles and Bass meant fun, lots of it and it helped her get through long hours she had to spent on this same couch.

'_Thirsty,_' she said simply, holding out her now empty the glass to Miles.

'_Well, brother, what are you waiting for? Can't make a lady wait for her drink.'_ Bass leaned back into his seat.

And then, Charlie actually _giggled _at his words. She fucking giggled. Showing her dimple and her light blue eyes. And he could not take his eyes away from her.

With a very dramatic sigh, Miles removed his boots from the table in front of him and walked with Charlie's glass into the kitchen, dragging his boots over the floor just enough in protest.

'_Thank you!'_

When she made no effort to keep her eyes away from him, he looked into his glass and finished his drink.

'_So, don't you have anywhere else to be?'_ Charlie shot at him, _'are you not bored yet with sitting here, watching me get better?'_

Sick or not, drugged up or not. Charlie was still Charlie. Never afraid to just throw in his face what she needed to say.

'_Nothing I have not done before, Charlotte. ' _ Bass said.

His voice was low and relaxed and it took a while before Charlie realised what he meant.

He watched something change in Charlie's eyes, and he cursed himself. _ Fuck. _The last thing she needed now was a reminder of that day. _Fuck again. _

'_What the hell. Bass?' _Miles had just walked back into the room. When it came do anything that concerned Bass _and_ his niece, he wanted to know. He looked from Bass to Charlie and back to Bass again. Something was wrong, he could see it on Charlie's face.

Bass nodded a slow no to him, and Charlie's eyes turned into a flat and pale grey.

'_Bass?'_ There was a warning in Miles' voice, _'what the hell happened in those ten whole seconds I was out of the room?'_

'_Hey man, drop it,'_ Bass told Miles, his eyes on Charlie for a moment.

Charlie licked her bottom lip in a nervous way. She took a deep breath and let it escape between her lips.

Charlie picked up on the change in Bass' voice.

She looked up, slowly. Only meeting his eyes for a couple of seconds before she looked away from him again.

'_It's okay...'_ her voice sounded more hoarse than she had expected.

The living room was silent. The day came to an end, and the light outside was changing.

Miles walked through the room and sat down, before Charlie. His knees almost touching her. His brown eyes on her, watching her. Waiting for her.

'_I told you, like I told mom when I came back. He saved my life.'_

Miles knew that, he also knew Charlie had never talked about it more. She had never mentioned what happened in those weeks on the road when it was her and Bass.

He never pushed her into talking about it. Charlie and he, they were so much alike. She would talk when she was ready.

He had been shocked as hell, to see Bass standing a little bit uphill the day Charlie had came back to town. She had asked him not to freak out and it took exactly five seconds and a couple of feet to understand why she had asked him just that. He had looked from Charlie to Bass, and back to her again. Slowly realising that she had brought him here. His first instinct, combined with some pretty horrible images, was that he had hurt her, had taken advantage of her.

He was sure now Bass hadn't. But what the hell did happen, for Charlie to give Bass a chance, to ask Rachel to spare his life when those kaki idiots had decided to execute his brother, he never knew. He needed to know, but dread was not far behind that thought.

Charlie started to the window across the room.

'_After I left, it was just me and the road. I had no destination, I just had to get away,' _Charlie started. Her voice flat, her eyes far away.

Miles thought back to the night he had felt Charlie's face in his neck, her hair under his hand when he had told her to limit down the stupid. And then, she had walked away. _He had let her walk away._ Drowning in his own misery and whiskey. He had watched her, told himself she was too stubborn to be kept in a place where she did not want to be. Felt the friction between her and her mom. He had watched her walk away and hell, the guilt of that moment spread like a familiar old friend again.

'_I met someone,'_ she felt Bass' eyes on her and met his gaze head on for a second, _'and he saw my brand. Thought I was Militia and told me Monroe was in Vegas.'_

Bass had to swallow tension away from his throat. He could not believe that it had been his own fucking brand, the one HIS men put on her, that had lead her to him. And then, the idea of her with another guy, stirred something else, something dark, in his gut.

'_That's how you found me,'_ He had always wanted to know. Never had the balls to ask.

She looked up to meet his eyes. She nodded yes.

'_After that, it was everything that mattered.' _

'_You went to Vegas.'_ Miles said, a inward sigh with agony at the thought of Charlie out there, on her own. On the road, alone. Walking into Vegas, Alone. More guilt in his gut.

'_Found him there, had some kind of weird talk and came back with him?' _Miles said, sarcasm in his tone.

'_Not really._'

'_I did find him there, almost managed to kill him. But then, these bounty hunters showed u, getting to him first. I followed them. Found him tied up in a abandoned pool. Tried to kill him again. And kinda landed my own ass in that empty pool after one of those bounty hunters shot me before I could shoot him.'_

Bass mouth was hanging open in a not so intelligent way.

'_Where was your crossbow?' _Miles asked.

'_Yeah, I kind of put it down against a tree behind me.' _Charlie said, closing her eyes now. She knew it was stupid.

She saw a grin on Bass and Miles face for a second. They knew it was stupid. She knew it was stupid. That crossbow should been on her back, where it had been for the past years.

'_Kid, if you are going to try and kill Bas, never let the hell go of all your weapons,' _ Miles said drily.

'_No shit,'_ Bass added.

'_So, you both got out of there and decided that's the moment you two got on the road together?' _Miles whole face was begging her to just say yes.

Charlie didn't.

She told him how she followed Bass.

She told him she kind off beat the shit of out of him when he tried to kill one of the bounty hunters. Which earned him a proud grin from Miles for a second, before that smile faded really fast.

She told him, how he got away, again, and how she had tracked him down.

'_And that's the moment you two got on the road?' _

Charlie could see the anger build up in her uncle's face.

'_Well, I told him he was delusional. I turned around and walked away. Told him, if he wanted to stop me, he had to shoot me._

'_What the hell, Charlie!' _ Miles yelled out.

Bass looked away from a second. Fuck, he had known why she threw THAT in his face. It had been a painful reminder of that one day he put Strausser with a fucking gun in his hands in front of her. He remembered every damn second of that moment. So did she. He had understood.

And he knew what was coming next. He felt the tension build up in his muscles and jaws.

Charlie's breath got stuck up in her lunges when she started to speak again. That bar. That night. Those vultures. Losing control of her body.

She finally told Miles the story about that night.

Miles was in absolute shock. There was anger on his face, rage for those guys who had almost got to her her. Guilt and dark rage for himself that he had not been there. That she was there in the first place.

'_He did save my life Miles. If it was not for him...'_ Charlie remembered the endless loneliness and panic she had felt when she had slumped on the floor against the barstools. She remembered and silent salty tears were on her cheeks, without even knowing when they had started to fall.

She struggled. Struggled to stop this stupid crying, struggled to keep her breathing under control.

'_If it was not for him, I would not be here. They would have...'_ she was not able to finish her sentence_. Raped. Gang raped. Killed._ Words they all knew were there, but that both Bass, Miles and she herself could not utter out loud.

Bass felt her tears like bullets into his chest. He made fists out of his hands to keep his own emotions in check.

Miles was with her in a second. His long arms slowly circled around her. His hand on her head. He took in her scent, the kid he cared for so much, while his own vision got blurred by tears.

He held on to her, realising what Bass had done for her. What could have happened. It made him sick to his stomach to think about that. It made him sick to his stomach to know that Charlie had to live in this messed up miserable world.

Charlie cried, cried into Miles chest.

After a while, she moved her head out of his neck and looked into familiar dark brown eyes.

'_I owe him for that Miles, I owe him.' _There was strength in her words. Her eyes so sure. And then, more tears filled her eyes.

'_I never even thanked him, Miles...I...' _

Miles placed a hand on her shoulder.

And then, she watched how Bass crouched beside her. She watched how his large hands moved to hers. Ever so gently, he touched her hands for a second with his. Covering them with rough skin on her smooth skin.

And then he moved back his hands, but his eyes stayed on her.

'_You did do that, Charlie._' His voice was rough and low, _'you did. You saved my ass that day.'_

His eyes told her he understood. He understood that a part of her had given him what he had done for her, saved his life for saving hers that day. Because that was Charlie. She was so incredibly fucking fair and loyal and fierce.

She nodded at him, when another more silent sob waved through her body.

'_I am so sorry kid, I...'_ Miles words were spoken with a heavy heart, _' I should have never let you go.'_

Charlie nodded at him. Blue Matheson eyes found brown Matheson eyes. Her blue eyes told him they were all right, his brown eyes told her he was here.

And then she raised one eyebrow and her blue eyes got lighter again.

'_But HE,_' she moved her eyes towards Bass_, 'probably would not be sitting here today.'_

'_And that would be a bad thing?' _ Bass asked, his voice raspy when he watched fire come back into her eyes.

'_I don't know,_' Charlie frowned at him, _'I kind of gotten used to dealing with your smug face on a daily basis.' _

And then, she grinned at him. It was a small smirk, but it made Bass shake his head while he had to bite his tongue to not smile a stupid grin back at her.

'_All right, let's see if I can find something to eat for you in the kitchen, kid' _ Miles sighed, uncomfortable with all the overly display of emotion.

Charlie smiled, understanding it had been a lot of emotions for her moody uncle to deal with.

Bass grabbed the glass of water from the table and gave it to her.

'_Drink,'_ he said, not unfriendly.

When Charlie grabbed the glass in her hands, their fingers touched for a moment.

They heard something fall in the kitchen and Miles voice was booming towards them.

'_Everything under control,' _He yelled from the other side of the house.

'_That's good to hear, brother.' _Bass yelled back back, his eyes still on her before he stepped back and the contact between them was broken.

He walked towards the fireplace and placed some wooden logs in them, starting a fire.

'_You okay?'_ he asked, his eyes on the fire in front of him.

'_I am Bass.'_

'_Good.' _He said casually, moving some blocks in front of him.

Charlie watched him, busy with the wood. She watched the lines of his face.

The first sparks of the fire filled the room.

'_Good,'_ she said back, almost a whisper when her eyes saw only him and he looked up to her, the flames lighting up his eyes.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! We have one more chapter left...let's see what we can do with those sparks and the fire that just started! See you there? Love from Love**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**The last chapter for this story! I thank you for all your reviews, I love hearing from you. I write, because I love to write, but knowning you are all there, makes me happy, inspires me!**_

_**As you noticed, this story was shorter than Words of Betrayal ( that became such a long story without planning it, but I loved every part, I loved writing every chapter). I have lots of new ideas for new stories. New stories to explore, new emotions, new situations. I will work on those soon. So, the stories will be a bit shorter, but I have a lot of new ideas and stories waiting for me!**_

* * *

It was almost midnight. Bass was enjoying a whiskey, the dark fluid swirling in his glass. Connor was sitting next to him at the town bar.

They both had dinner at the Porter house with the old men, Miles and Rachel. And for the first time in two weeks, Charlie had joined them at the table in a simple jeans and a cotton blue shirt with short sleeves, a woollen vest on top of that.

She had gotten most of her strength back and was already making plans to get home as fast as she could. Bass was glad she was back to her stubborn ways, but her returning home also meant an end to spending time with her the way he could now. He would stop by, to see _Miles_, check in on her and spent an hour, or two, three, or _damn it_, most of the evening or afternoon with her.

After druggy Charlie, a Charlie that had thanked him and a Charlie that had finally told the story that meant Miles could finally understand he had indeed not hurt her on their way back, Charlie had slowly returned to herself. Both him and Miles had been around her, after she had broken down to tears. She had not talked that much, and they had shared an evening in front of the fire. He wanted to be there, Miles wanted to be there.

She did not need any more painkillers and her cough was almost gone. But what had changed was the fact that things between him and her felt more familiar and yet so sizzling new at the same time. A look, an accidental touch. Her laughing, an honest laugh, at stories he and Miles had shared with her from years long ago. He had enjoyed the past few weeks and before Charlie left the kitchen to find her room upstairs for the night, their eyes had met. And he swore, he saw things in her look he had never saw before.

In short, Bass was frustrated out of his damn mind.

He took another swig of his whiskey when he met with his son's grin, that was plastered all over the kids face, when Connor had gotten into his line of vision. Connor finished his drink and got up. He looked at Bass, his dark eyes a little bit narrowed.

'_What?'_ Bass grunted.

'_Oh nothing dad, I was just thinking,'_ Connor put his now empty glass on the wood of the bar before him. He had been observing his dad with a certain Matheson in particular the past few weeks, and before that, _' since when do you not go after what you want?' _

Bass looked at Connor, his mouth open. Before he could say anything back Connor already on his way back to the doors, one more quick grin at his dad before he was out and on his way home.

* * *

Charlie walked in the kitchen. The sun had gained more strength over the past weeks, and clear light was streaming in. Spring was showing its first signs, she could feel it.

The world outside was going from grey into a more vibrant blue in the sky and nature had woken up again, with green around and bright colours. Her legs felt like they had more of the strength they once had in them, and her lunges felt fine. She was fine. And if Gene cleared her with one last health check, she was on her way home soon.

The house was silent. A little too silent for Charlie's taste. Miles and Bass were headed to Austin and would return in a couple of days. She missed her uncle. But what shocked her, was that she realised she missed a pair of deep blue eyes and a particular black jacket and scruff too. _Bass. _She did not remember a lot from those first days after she should have left with him to Austin. She had a fever, was sick and her system had been filled with medicine. Apparently she had been quite entertaining, if she had to trust her uncle and grandfather's opinion. A smirk on Bass' face when they had told her, yet again, had irritated her beyond anything.

Here is what she did remember.

She remembered Bass' hand on her forehead. She remembered she had been so sure, she was going to be all right the moment he had found her in that room. She remembered hours with Miles and Bass in the living room, hours of sleep. She remembered gentle eyes, and Bass' large hands over hers when she had told Miles, finally told him, one of her darkest memories. She remembered feeling good and relieved afterwards, most of all because Miles knew now what Bass did for her. What a difference he had made. And how she felt it was a good and important things for Miles to know that.

She remembered long hours in front of the fire, hearing almost forgotten stories about Bass and Miles. Bass, Miles and her father growing up, and it had been the first time neither of the men sitting with her had been afraid to mention him. Her father came alive in their stories about growing up in Jasper. For the first time she had been ready to listen to those memories.

And now, he was more in her thoughts than she would admit to anyone._ Bass._

Her grandfather was on his way to the practice for a patient and would return soon, but he had gotten her attention by telling her something arrived for her.

Something arrived for her. Something _never _arrived. Not for her.

When she walked into the kitchen, her eyes fell on a bouquet in the middle of the kitchen table. It was small and simple, with pastel coloured flowers. She smiled with a frown around her eyes.

'_What's this?' s_he said to herself.

There was a small card hidden away between two white flowers. Faded paper that had been formed into a small card. She held the cart between her fingers, her eyes going over the handwriting.

_See you soon, Charlie. _

_Take it Easy._

_Jimmy K._

Her heart was beating a bit faster than it should when her eyes fell over the last words on the small paper card. Her lips moved into a smile with a will on their own. She read the short message again. And again.

'_Who's Jimmy?'_ Her grandfather's voice was behind her all of a sudden when he walked into the kitchen, an empty coffee mug in his hands. His eyes fell over her shoulder, and he had seen the card in her hands.

'_Jesus, grandpa...'_ Charlie swallowed, getting her breathing under control. When she spoke again, her voice sounded more under control. At least. That was what she hoped for_. 'Just some guy I know.'_

'_Anybody I know?' _Gene put his mug on the kitchen counter.

'_Nah, don't think so..' _Charlie answered, when she saw his name on the card again.

The smug asshole had actually send her flowers. _Flowers._ And used the alias he had used in Vegas for the card.

She loved them.

* * *

The first thing Charlie had done when she came home, was open the windows to get some fresh air in. The second thing was enjoying the fact that her mother and grandpa were not asking her five times an hour if she needed anything.

She stretched her arms over her head. She really appreciated everyone's concerns, but she was happy to be home. She was happy she could enjoy a glass of whiskey again, although Gene had recommended to limit down the alcohol for now. But one glass, or maybe two, would not hurt. She was sick of water and just water. And tea. Lots of tea.

When she was unpacking her stuff in her bedroom, her eyes fell on the part of the floor where she had fainted. Memories of feverish panic came back to her. She pushed them way. She was doing fine. Fine.

She walked back into the living room. And on the fireplace, was the small bouquet of flowers that had arrived for her yesterday. They looked wonderful in the soft afternoon light of spring. She had decided to keep them. Sweet air from outside was casting away the stuffy air from the past few weeks.

Of course, keeping the flowers and brining them with them had earned her questions from her mom and endless joking around from Miles. Her grandfather had kept quiet, understanding that his granddaughter had some life on her own. She had been thankful for that, she had ignored her mother's questions and just grinned at Miles joking around.

And Bass was on her mind again. It was quickly becoming a new habit.

The next day, Charlie had a fire going for herself. She had made a simple dinner and had a book ready for the night. She had just sat down on the couch when there was a soft knock on the door.

When she opened the door she looked directly into the eyes that had been occupying a lot of her thoughts the past few days.

'_Good evening Charlie,'_ her name rolled of his lips in pure goodness, low and slow.

'_Bass,' _ she nodded slowly, a smile playing around her lips. She could see how his eyes fired up at using his name. It did something stupid to her stomach.

Bass watched Charlie. Sending her those flowers had been a gamble, but hey, he was not the kind of guy that dealt well with ignoring impulses. She looked good. Her hair was flowing over one shoulder and brushed her left breasts. Hips in thight pants, long legs and a part of her stomach was showing, right under the hem of her simple blue tank.

Her eyes fell on the bottle in his hands.

'_Want to share?'_ Bass eyes did not even move away from her eyes, when he held out the bottle in front of him, one hand casually on the wood of the doorway.

Charlie nodded at him to come in. A drink. She could use a drink. She walked into the kitchen to get two glasses.

Bass walked in to her living room, and he had not even gotten out of his jacket when he saw them. His flowers. She had kept them. Holy hell. One hell of a grin spread around his face. God, he missed her. And after what Connor had said to him, he was determined to not be an idiot and do something about how he felt. Because there was no way around it anymore. He wanted her.

With another woman, he would say, yes. There were signals. Mixed signals. A lot of them. But this was Charlie. There were many reasons why he had waited for so long. But he was done waiting.

He had taken a place on her couch, relaxing into the back of the couch, with his boots on the floor, his legs a little wide.

They were halfway the bottle, Charlie had made a fire. He had known better to suggest he would do that for her. It was dark and midnight was close. They had talked about many things. About his trip with Miles to Austin, how she was doing.

'_So, what's that?'_ Bass moved his hand, glass in it, towards the flowers on the fire place.

Charlie watched Bass. She knew very well he had noticed them before, and she had been waiting for the moment he would bring it up. He was just too smug not too. She took another sip of whiskey, raising her eyebrow.

'_Oh, I got them from some guy,' _she grinned at him.

'_Some guy, huh?'_

He was so close now, she could feel the breath on her face.

Charlie was only able to ask herself when he had moved closer to her, or when she had moved closer to him on her couch...or...

She let her lip go over her bottom lip. Her mouth felt dry.

And then, her eyes closed without she could help herself, while he moved his hand to her cheek. The contact was smooth, but it left her with a shiver going through her body and breath.

Bass smirked, when he felt what his touch did to Charlie. God, she looked so fucking good. She felt so fucking good close to him.

He moved her head towards his, her eyelashes resting on the soft tanned skin of her cheeks. His lips brushed hers. She tasted like the whiskey they had just shared, she tasted sweet. Her lips were soft. He kissed her and moved back.

Charlie opened her eyes. Placed her hand slowly on the skin of his muscled neck, a piece of him she had been thinking a lot about lately, how it would feel to touch.

Her fingers moving over his skin. She felt how he swallowed, the movement inside his neck palpable under her fingers.

Her eyes locked with him.

Charlie needed to feel that again. His lips, his taste, the feel of his scruff of his beard against the sensitive skin of her lips. So this time, she kissed him. The kiss was slow and explorative. She moved back.

His eyes fired into hers, his blue eyes intense and focussed on just her. Just her. Only her. She was suddenly out of breath and a small moan escaped her mouth.

And then, she moved to him, Bass moved to her. Their mouths met, hungry. He claimed her mouth and their third kiss was rough and filled with the need for more. Tongues met. Another moan from the back of her throat met with a deep growl of his.

Bass grabbed Charlie, pulled her close and at the same time moved her on the couch before him. her back landed on the fabric of the couch, her head against the back of the couch. His hands started to roam over her body. Her neck. The bare skin above her shirt, just above her breasts. Under her shirt. Over her ass, his hand between the couch and her ass. Her back, legs.

Charlie finally touched his chest, craving to know what he would feel like. He was hard, trained.

Battles, fights and long days had turned his body into a long, tall, muscled world she had to explore.

She felt the muscles move under her touch.

She pushed her centre against his groin. He was hard. Another moan, this time harder and longer, filled the room. Bass pushed up her shirt, taking in her breasts. Fuck, she was hot. Her nipples hardened between his lips. He had to have her.

'_Bass...take me...'_ Her voice was a raspy whisper in his ear.

It broke the last bit of his self control.

And with Charlie under him, her tank pushed over over her breasts , he crashed his mouth on her again. She was working on his pants, while he followed her soon after.

Charlie was breathing harshly, when she felt his hand move over her upper leg and to the inside of her leg. And then, she felt the head of his hardness, pressing against the sensitive skin around her clit. She kissed him again.

His lustful eyes met hers. He kissed her. Hard.

She grabbed his curls in her hand, one hand on his lower back. She met his eyes straight on.

'_Take...me..'_ it was the last thing she was able to think or say, because when he pushed himself deep inside of her, her world was only him. Just him. Bass.

He growled when he felt how warm she was around him. And fuck. She was tight. So fucking tight.

He placed his weight on his arms, one hand next to her breast, to other on the back of the couch next to her head.

'_Fuck..so thight...'_ he growled, while his eyes were almost black now. His harsh breathing close to her ear. Her body responded to his low voice with more want and need.

Charlie felt herself between Bass and the couch, his muscles at work above her. It was intense and good. More than good. Nobody ever took her the way he did. His focus on her, only on her, like he already knew her body.

Bass felt the urge to move faster, to push inside of her deeper, rougher. He moved his body closer to her, removing all the space that was between their bodies. He watched her face change, and when she came, when she let go and he could feel her spasm around his cock, she screamed his name. His name, one hot scream. His name from her, made him burry his head in the hollow of her neck. His whole body moved in one last powerful wave and he came with the taste of her skin on his lips. _Charlie._

When Charlie was in his arms, sated and sweaty, Bass pressed a kiss on her temple.

'_So, that's you liking those flowers?' _His voice was raspy and hoarse.

She smiled, looking up at him.

'_Liked them, a lot.' _

Bass watched something fall over her face. His eyes were now serious.

'_What is it, Charlie?'_

Charlie bit her bottom lip. She felt kind of childish to tell him this. Her voice was soft when she spoke.

'_No one ever send me flowers.' _She felt so stupid.

Bass looked at the beautiful woman in his arms, and his heart fucking broke for her. He knew she had never knew life the way Miles and he did, before the black out. He had realised it before. But it were little moments like these, that broke his damn heart for her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her head against his chest, playing with locks of her hair.

_A_nd when his arms moved around hers, she did not feel so stupid after all. Maybe he understood. No, she knew he understood.

'_I think I like people sending me flowers,'_ she said, this time with more light in her voice, an innocent mock smile on her face.

She heard Bass growl. _'Let's get one thing straight, Charlie. The only one who will send you flowers, will be me.' _

'_No flowers from other guys?' C_harlie teased him.

_'Maybe from Miles, but I would not hold your breath there.' _

His eyes got dark.

'_I will beat the fucking shit out of any guy that ever dares to send you flowers.'_

And then he roughly put his firm lips over her lush still swollen lips.

* * *

Bass would see many more different sides from her. From Charlie.

He knew that this, what he had with Charlie was real. So he also knew he had to tell her about a night that happened in a city far away, a long time ago. A night that had meant nothing but regret for what he wished he could take back. He had seen an raw and vulnerable side of her.

After she had listened and walked over to him, he had seen the side of that was not able to let him go. That was able to move on. That understood. She once had a night too, in a city far away, that happened for the wrong reasons. He had picked her up in his arms and held her.

He would see the part of that made her eyes fill with thunder when they had their first stupid fights.

When that one dark day in the year arrived, the day he had lost his parents and sisters, he had seen the part of her that was filled by silent support and compassion.

When Miles and Rachel had found out, _Willoughby had been too small a town after they broke the news,_ he had seen the part of Charlie that was filled with a determined Charlie. A fierce Charlie. A Charlie who told both Miles and Rachel that the world was far from perfect, that they all were far from perfect but that she loved him. She chose him.

When they would marry, a simple ceremony, the same bouquet would be in her hands that he gave her for the first time, he would see the part of her that showed him her side that was filled with love. Tears in her eyes. Tears that were in his as well.

When they would find out that they would be parents, he watched a part of her that was filled by joy.

When their first child was born, a boy that would have another sister and brother later, he met the part of Charlie that was full with more unconditional love.

She showed him the parts in her that were built by love, and loyalty and forgiveness.

And every time they would make love, sometimes slow, sometimes rough and deeply passionate, he would look at her face. And he would see the part of that was filled with fire, surrender and hunger for him.

But first, Bass would wake her up, with slow kisses and his want for her already hard and waiting for her against the soft curve of her ass.

He felt Charlie smile against his arm. He had wrapped her up in his arm before they had fallen asleep, and her lips were still resting against his lower arm. He teased her, pressing his hardness more into her skin.

'_You want more?'_ his early morning voice was raspy against her ear.

She looked into his eyes. The lines around them were crinkling. She liked early morning Bass. Her eyes were soft and Bass let his eyes go all over her face. She looked serious all of a sudden.

'_I want more,'_ she said softly.

They both knew that she was not talking about round three of their lovemaking.

More. They would be more.

She would see so much more of Bass. So much more. She would see the part of him that was protective, that was loving, that cared, the part of him that he reserved just for her. Only her. The part of her that made her realise that there could be more. More to this life.

But for now, Bass lowered his mouth on hers, he kissed her. First, slowly, deeply. And then, Charlie moved her hips towards what she ached now, while Bass protectively pulled the warm blankets over them both, hiding them the world.

_The End_

* * *

_**I absolutely love to know you are all out there to read my chapters. That is what inspires me, that is why I write and keep on writing my stories. **_

_**I thank you!**_

_**Love from Love**_


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